Caps and other head wear, in particular, casual baseball style sporting caps that are easily adjustable, and useful for protecting the wearers eyes from sunlight or rain, have become very popular in recent years. Such caps are generally made of fabric or woven material having a hemispherical crown or dome. The crown may also be cylindrical with a flat top. Typically, inside the dome, at the lower periphery, is a reinforced headband terminating at the rear of the dome with adjustable straps for securing the cap to the head. An opening in the dome is provided above such adjustable straps. At the forward lower periphery portion of the dome is a stiff visor or bill to help keep the sun out of the eyes of the wearer. Typically, on the outside forward portion of the dome, indicia, e.g., a trademark or logo, is placed.
Most of such caps are decorated on the front portion of the dome with screen printed or embroidered indicia, such as team names, logos, trademarks, characters, special events, etc. Recently it has become fashionable to wear such caps with the visor directed rearwardly. Wearing the cap in this orientation deemphasizes the indicia, e.g. trademark and/or logo usually displayed on the front portion of the dome of the cap. Such deemphasis of a merchant's or team's trademark and/or logo is undesirable and does not maximize the potential goodwill that can be developed from the display of the indicia. Further, when the cap is worn in such a fashion the opening in the dome can cause an an uneven and possibly unsightly sunburn on the forehead of the wearer. There is thus a need for an indicia, e.g., logo/trademark bearing cap attachment that can be secured to the rear of the cap to permit the display of the indicia near the face of the wearer of the cap and to cover up the opening in the rear of the dome.
There are numerous devices relating to means for displaying trademarks and logos on caps. Many of these devices are removable and have a various means for attachment.
Reference is made to the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
2,796,680 to E. Wittcoff PA1 4,333,180 to Bay PA1 4,776,043 to Coleman PA1 4,873,726 to Tapia PA1 4,985,935 to Hur PA1 5,003,640 to Pizzacar PA1 5,253,368 to Blake PA1 5,282,278 to Miner PA1 5,359,733 to Brannon et al. PA1 5,459,734 to Rathburn PA1 5,373,586 t0 Brosnan
U.S. Pat. No. 2,796,680 to E. Wittcoff describes a hat adapted for various types of educational drills and games in which a series of problems or questions are imprinted along the outside face to the hatband and the correct answers can be ascertained from the inside face of the hatband though an aperture or window in the crown.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,180 to Bay describes a visor attached to a helmet by snaps.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,043 to Coleman describes a hat with interchangeable patches that can be selectively attached. to the hat. An incomplete phrase or logo is printed on the front surface and a strip of fastening material or adhesive secured to the hat just below the incomplete phrase. A plurality of separate patches is provided, each printed with a different completion to the hat's printed phrase or logo, and each with a back surface that is attachable to the fastening material on the hat. Thus, the user can select the completion of the phrase with the patch of his choice.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,726 to Tapia describes an adjustable baseball type cap assemblage having a crown portion and various interchangeable visor portions. Insignia patches of various styles can be removably affixed to the selected visor and crown portions so that one cap assembly can be modified to identify with several athletic teams.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,935 to Hur describes a cap visor which includes a lower visor, a foldable upper visor, and a pop-up display located between the lower and foldable upper visor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,640 to Pizzacar describes a cap having a removable advertising cap nameplate for concealing the pair of adjustable straps at the rear of the cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,368 to Blake describes a cap having a writing surface and a writing implement attached to the crown of the cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,278 to Miner describes a cap attachment which folds about and captures the rear straps of a baseball style cap. The attachment allows for the display of emblems or other indicia thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,733 to Brannon et al. describes a hat which can simultaneously accept a plurality of patches. The patches are connected to the hat by hook and loop fasteners. The cap has an area of hook material either integrally formed with the cap or retrofitted to a pre-existing six-panel cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,734 to Rathburn describes a hat having an opening therein. One element of a hook-and-pile type fastening means is sewed in the opening. A number of cloth panels are provided, each of substantially the same size as the opening and bearing a name, logo, character, or other message on one side thereof. Each of the cloth panels has the other part of the two-part fastening means secured on its other side so that it may be attached to the hat when its particular name, logo, or other message has been selected for display with the hat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,586 to Brosnan describes a sports cap and a replaceable pie-shaped panel made of one or more pie-shaped portions of fabric. The replaceable pie-shaped panel is detachably connected to the hat so as to be completely removable from the sports cap.